Surgical Instrument Pivoting Element Reduces Friction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Surgical instruments with swiveling parts often seize due to friction, leading to reduced service life and difficulty in cleaning and sterilization, as existing solutions do not effectively prevent seizure during active use.
Innovation Solution
A surgical instrument design featuring a hinge connection with reduced contact surfaces and a pivoting element with axial stops and a radially widened center section, creating a micro-gap for reduced friction and improved accessibility for lubrication and disinfection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If large contact surfaces are used in the hinge area to guide instrument parts, then stability and prevention of canting are improved, but the risk of seizing increases due to friction
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surface is segmented into multiple discrete contact points (elevations) rather than a continuous large surface. This segmentation maintains guidance stability through multiple localized contact points while reducing the total friction area, thereby preventing seizing without compromising instrument part stability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the contact surface are given different properties: elevations with reduced tolerance fluctuations provide stable guidance, while the overall reduced contact area minimizes friction. The local quality of each elevation is optimized for guidance, while the global configuration prevents seizing.
2Ease of repair
If contact surfaces are made accessible for cleaning and sterilization, then ease of maintenance is improved, but the risk of seizing increases due to friction during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The contact surfaces are designed with elevations that create a three-dimensional configuration, allowing cleaning agents to penetrate and reach the hinge area from multiple angles. This dimensional arrangement improves accessibility for sterilization while the elevated contact points maintain low-friction operation to prevent seizing.
3Measurement precision
If manufacturing tolerances are reduced to improve precision, then operational precision is improved, but the risk of seizing increases due to different contact surfaces in the assembled state
Solution Approach 1:
The elevations are designed with predetermined tolerance fluctuations that compensate for manufacturing variations. This beforehand cushioning ensures that even with reduced manufacturing tolerances, the contact surfaces maintain optimal alignment and reduced friction, preventing seizing while preserving operational precision.
4Reliability
If friction is reduced to prevent seizing, then reliability is improved, but the guidance stability of instrument parts deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The guidance function is segmented into multiple discrete elevation contact points distributed across the hinge area. This segmentation provides stable guidance through multiple localized contacts while the reduced overall contact area minimizes friction, achieving both guidance stability and seizing prevention simultaneously.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design prevents seizing of instrument parts, enhances service life, improves operational precision, and facilitates efficient lubrication and disinfection by reducing friction and increasing accessibility of contact surfaces.
Implementation Method 1
A transverse groove in one of the two instrument parts causes the instrument parts to be movable relative to one another with a certain amount of clearance, which minimizes friction
Implementation Method 2
the instrument parts have contact surfaces that slide under friction when they swivel relative to each other, thus preventing the instrument parts from canting
Implementation Method 3
The resulting material wear, as well as a cold welding caused by friction, reduce the service life of surgical instruments
Implementation Method 4
The resulting material wear, as well as a cold welding caused by friction, reduce the service life of surgical instruments
Data Source
AI summary
A surgical instrument includes a female instrument part that defines a hollow volume in a coupling region and a male instrument part that forms a guide section in the coupling region. The guide section is configured to at least partially pass through the hollow volume. A pivoting element, which has an upper section, a center section, and a lower section, couples the female instrument part and the male instrument part to each other in such a way that the female instrument part and male instrument part can pivot relative to each other about an axis of rotation of the pivoting element. A lateral upper contact step is formed between the upper section and the center section of the pivoting element and a lateral lower contact step is formed between the lower section and the center section of the pivoting element.